PhD in Medical Sciences
PhD Program Overview
We adapt our curriculum, resources and mentoring styles to the individual needs of a diverse next generation of scientists, who are shaping the world through scientific discovery, policy and health.
Welcome from RAJESH C. MIRANDA, PhD
On behalf of the Texas A&M School of Medicine’s graduate faculty and the Graduate Program Executive Committee, welcome to the Medical Sciences Office of Graduate Studies! We are a collegial team of faculty, students, staff and administration—all committed to fostering an exceptional, inclusive and rewarding research and training environment.
The graduate program in Medical Sciences equips each new generation of aspiring scientists with the skills to identify and solve important health problems. Under faculty guidance, our trainees will engage in rigorous and original scholarship supplemented by coursework tailored to fit individual needs. Trainees have an opportunity to focus their scholarly efforts on many important biomedical problems including infectious diseases, cancer, neuro-degenerative diseases and trauma, substance use and psychiatric disorders, heart and lymphatic disease, to name a few. It is expected that this original scholarship of our trainees will be disseminated in rigorous, peer-reviewed scientific journals and have an impact on the trainee’s scientific discipline. Trainees are also expected to participate in national and international scientific conferences, build professional networks, and seek leadership roles, both within TAMU and in professional scientific societies. An active and vibrant graduate student organization (GSO) engages in a program of professional development activities, research retreats and symposia and also provides a robust mechanism for shared governance and a conduit for feedback to the graduate program and to the faculty.
The School of Medicine at Texas A&M University is part of a vibrant group of 17 schools and colleges and 92 doctoral programs on a contiguous campus. Annual research expenditures at TAMU exceed $1.1 billion, making this central Texas land grant university a research powerhouse. An undergraduate enrollment of ~53,000 students provides ample opportunity for graduate students to work with and train teams of undergraduates, and to develop their own skills as educators and mentors.
Former trainees are scientists at academic institutions as well as pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, educators, entrepreneurs, engaged in advocacy and health policy and scientific writing. Trainees find professional advancement in increasingly diverse arenas that need the analytic and communications skills of trained biomedical scientists.
I hope you find all the resources you are looking for in this website. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We look forward to hearing from you!.
Best Regards,
Rajesh C Miranda, PhD
Shelton Professor of Neuroscience
Director, Medical Sciences Graduate Program
Chair, MED Graduate Program Executive Committee
Research Areas
There are six areas of research across the School of Medicine departments (Bryan/College Station) and the Institute of Biosciences and Technology (Houston) that students can choose from to specialize in areas of expertise while expanding their knowledge and touching other interdisciplinary research groups. The School of Medicine is an academic unit of Texas A&M University (TAMU), and students in the Medical Sciences PhD program have access to all the resources, facilities, and courses of both the School of Medicine and the university.
The Medical Sciences PhD Program branch in Houston is located in the Texas Medical Center, the nation's fourth largest city and the largest medical center complex in the world. The PhD program is housed within the Institute of Biosciences and Technology, a research institute focused on translational medical research, and features a close-knit community of investigators and students, with close connections to both the TAMU main campus, neighboring institutions, and universities in the Texas Medical Center.
When applying for the PhD program in Medical Sciences, be sure to specify which campus you are interested in, either Bryan/College Station or Houston.
Brain, Behavior, Psychiatric and Neurologic Disorders
Research related to normal neural development and neurodevelopmental disorders, behavior, adaptation to injury and disease, psychiatric disorders.
Biomedical Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
Research that explores the potential of somatic stem cells to ameliorate and cure a broad range of diseases.
Cancer, Cell and Developmental Biology
Research related to the regulation of development, including processes dysregulated in cancer, such as control of cell cycle, cell survival and cell death; the role of innate and adaptive immunity in cancer and immunotherapy, molecular and cellular mechanisms of cancer initiation and pathogenesis; metabolic dysregulation in cancer, lymphatics in cancer progression; and design and application of mouse models of human cancer.
Cardiovascular, Lymphatic and Metabolic Disease
Research related to the investigations of cardiac function, blood vessel circulation of organs; lymphatic vessel physiology, lymphatic control of inflammation and immune responses; underlying pathophysiology of obesity, diabetes, aging, heart disease, hypertension, lymphedema, inflammatory bowel disease, kidney and liver injury, eye conditions, and cancer.
Genetic, Genomic and Network Biology
Research using model organisms to study physiology in health and disease; quantitative, systems-based approaches to gain insight into the molecular, cellular and biochemical networks that underlie biological phenomena.
Infection, Immunity and Inflammation
Research related to infection and subsequent host response; innate and adaptive immunity; inflammatory responses; genetic evaluation of virulence that affect colonization of tissues and systems; disease pathologies related to inflammation and immune dysfunction; e.g., diabetes, neurodegenerative disease; mesenchymal stem cells differentiation for immune function and wound healing.
About Us
About Texas A&M
Texas A&M University is ranked among the top 10 public universities in the United States and number one in Texas for research expenditures, according to the National Science Foundation. Our graduate faculty exemplify the highest standards of teaching, research and scholarship. By joining the Texas A&M School of Medicine, you will not only be immersed in exciting research but also become part of the Aggie family, a unique and life-long experience, full of traditions and a network of leaders around the world.
About Our Research
With 170 full time faculty, 75 graduate students and more than 100 postdoctoral fellows, the School of Medicine has a combined total of 39.8 M of external funding from federal grant agencies (NIH, NSF, USDA, and DOD) and the private sector. Our scientists are continuously improving medicine in the areas of cancer, cellular and molecular biology, environmental and genetic medicine, infectious and inflammatory diseases, microbial pathogenesis, neuroscience, stem cell biology, cardiovascular and lymphatic biology and many more.
About Our Students
Our diverse student body comes from across the nation and the world to become independent scientists and develop professional and transferable skills through top research projects, professional development, and other campus resources that prepare them to become leaders in a broad range of scientific fields.
Student Resources
Have access to the student handbook, Texas A&M and School of Medicine forms, policies and procedures, as well as other sources to support student wellness and success.